As an avid thriller reader I almost feel like I've seen it all so it is always a nice suprise when a book leaves me guessing and this is exactly what this book accomplished. Our main character iris has just lost everything in her life and doesn't think it can get any worse, her husband was murdered, she is drowning in debt and now her and her daughter are about to be evicted from the only home they've ever known. Right when she is unsure about everything her boyfriend, Hugh suggests that she move in with him since he has all the extra space. Reluctant to take him up on the offer she finally accepts after realizing it is her only option. Hugh is a devoted and attentive partner who loves her and her daughter so it only makes sense that they take this step together what could possibly go wrong, right? However when Iris gets to the house she realises that unknown to her she will be living with his family as well and the house itself soon starts to show it's sinister nature. It soon becomes clear to Iris that there might have been a sinister motive to get her to this place and it is now up to her to make sure that both her daughter and herself make it out in one piece. This book gave off a major sence of foreboding right from the beginning as it almost felt like our characters were lambs being lead to the slaughter. I loved this book and could get enought of it. I loved all of the surprises, I loved constantly wondering what was lurking behind all of the next turns but over all I loved the fast pace of this book and the character themselves were very well written and three dimensional. I couldn't put this book down as every time I tried I was pulled back in desperate to figure out what was really going on with our main characters. With so many lies being thrown around it was so much fun getting to the final truth about everything. This is a book that you will easily find yourself lost in and everything seems to fade away the deeper you get into this plot. The ending really threw me in a tail spin as I was left shocked but amazed at the same time. I love twists and I never saw that one coming. Great read I couldn't get enough and I can't wait until everyone else gets to check this one out. This was the first book of ever read by this author however after the whirlwind like this one this definitely will not be the last. I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with and I'm so glad that I was given the opportunity to check this one out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The life of Iris Bloggett pretty much gets flushed down the toilet after her husband is murdered. She loses her job, and she is evicted from her home. When her handsome new boyfriend offers to let her move into his family home, she did not understand that his entire family would be living there with them as well and that they were a clan of weirdos. The longer Iris stays, the more she discovers that there are dark family secrets and sinister purposes at play.

This book has everything you could want from a suspenseful psychological thriller: unreliable characters, dysfunctional family, lies, secrets, murders and a TWISTY plot! This well written book is fast paced and kept my head spinning as to what was happening and where it would lead next! Highly recommend!!!

Lies, lies, lies

Family secrets that tie each other together.

I was hooked from the beginning. Did not expect or anticipate that twist or how it just spiralled after the revelation.

Just love a book with a good twist or two. Nobody is how they appear. The ending left a nice little surprise though. Definitely a book I’ll be thinking about for the next while.

Highly recommend this thriller and look forward to checking out additional books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

The beginning drew me in but once we got into the house, it lost me a little. The family was definitely hiding something and there were all kinds of questionable characters but it just felt a little flat to me. I think I just wasn’t the right reader for this particular style, thank you to HTP for the ARC!

This book was much better than I expected and I finished it in less than 48 hours. There is enough misdirection that you don't see most of the twists coming especially the biggest twists of all. I would definitely look for more books from this author in the future.

Katie Garner's 2025 thriller, THE FAMILY INSIDE, immediately caught my attention because of the synopsis and the intriguing cover. I knew that this book was one I needed to prioritize because it sounded so juicy and similar to Lisa Jewell's A Family Upstairs (my favorite of her novels). Three years after her husband’s unsolved murder, Iris Blodgett is drowning in grief, debt, and the challenge of providing for her rebellious daughter, Ellory, after losing her job. When her new boyfriend, architect Hugh Smoll, offers a chance to move into his family’s eerie, centuries-old mansion during renovations, Iris discovers the house hides sinister secrets—and that her arrival was no coincidence.

This book wasn't similar to Lisa Jewell's A Family Upstairs, but it definitely had the creepy family mystery alive throughout the story. I felt that this book was more of a family drama, rather than a mystery/thriller, but it still was an enjoyable time regardless. The pacing of this story is rather slow and I caught myself wanted to skim ahead, so I had to catch myself a few times. That being said, the final twist(S!!) in this story completely through me for a loop, which put a nice little bow on my reading experience with this book. Fans of Georgina Cross and Seraphina Nova Glass will enjoy THE FAMILY INSIDE.

3.5 stars

Wow, this book was a WILD ride! So wild that at times I was lost and confused but it all came together in the end. This book has everything, dysfunctional family, lies, secrets and murders and the plot is TWISTY! Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced readers copy

From the getgo I had a really hard time reading this book. It might have been the writing style or the characters. I am not sure but I had really high hopes and the book fell flat. it was a little boring and I wanted so much more from it.

I will say that if I ever fall in love with a guy who takes me to live with him in his mother's house that he is fixing up and it looks like this house in the book, with the siblings that Hugh has, I would hop back in my car and never go back! But that would not make for a suspenseful, twisty impossible to put down story like this book was. Told from the viewpoints of Iris and Ellory (after she leaves) it unwinds in a very surprising twist that left me gobsmacked but did a great job of answering questions I did not even know I had. And there are a few more twists, extra creepiness, uncertainty in who to trust, and secrets galore! It will leave you gasping and shouting at Iris to run! I am glad that she does have good friends to help her out with the nightmare that Iris and Ellory find themselves in (especially a shout out to Sloane!). And the ending is thoroughly satisfying in tying up all the loose ends from the past and present in bringing guilty or deserving of punishment their just desserts.

A good, thrilling read that goes by quickly as it is really hard to put down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!

Huge thank you to HTP Books for the gifted ARC!

This book was BONKERS! If you're a fan of the wildest and craziest thrillers full of insane and shady characters, this one is for you!

After Iris loses her husband and subsequently her home, her and her daughter move into her new boyfriend's family home. The catch? The house is CREEPY. His family is CREEPY. Everything is CREEPY! If you think you've read about a sketchy family, BUCKLE UP! This one may take the cake!

I loved that NOTHING and I mean NOTHING is what it seems in this book! I thought I knew what was happening and got thrown for one of the biggest loops ever! And then the twists just kept coming right up until the very end!

This is one that will definitely stay with me for a while! It was so unique and I read it in a 24 hour period; I just HAD to know what was happening within the walls of this crazy house!

Was it believable? No. Was it a total blast? Yes.

What a wild ride this book was! I couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns. I really liked most of the book. The very final twist didn't work for me. I wish that part had been left out. I think the ending would have been fine without it. That being said, it was definitely and ending I didn't expect. Definitely worth the read.

Looking for your next page turning, can’t put down thriller? Then look no further, The Family Inside is the book for you! I needed a book to get me out of a slight slump and this definitely did the trick!

Read this if:
🔪Like short chapters
🔪Dysfunctional families and lies
🔪Multiple Murders
🔪Twists and Turns

Publication date: 1/28/25

If you like a good mystery where you really didn’t see that coming, this might be a book for you!

Three years after Iris Blodgett husband's murder, she finds herself in an ominous situation. Iris is reeling in debt and unemployment. She turns to her new boyfriend, Hugh Smoll, who offers to take her and her daughter in. Only, they won't be alone. Hugh's mother, brother, sister-in-law, and sister will also be living with them in the family mansion, Ravencliff. The mansion is currently being renovated, when Iris and her daughter Elloy uncover dark family secrets. This is when they start to realize they may have been invited for a sinister purpose.

From start to finish this was a page turner. Some parts became a little slow, but overall, this was a great one. The old mansion, complete with eerie items, adds a whimsical layer to the story. The characters are richly developed, and the main character is likable. As the plot twists and turns, everything started to come together for me around the 80% mark.

This was my first time reading this author, and I can see myself picking up other books by Katie Garner. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Harlequin Trade Pub/ MIRA for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

twisty, eerie, and really well done thriller with some awesome themes and foci! i really liked it. 5 stars. tysm for the arc, would recommend.

Iris Blodgett has been facing difficult times. Her beloved husband Jack was murdered three years ago, and the case remains unsolved. Her home was foreclosed, and she lost her job. Things weren't looking up for Iris and her eighteen-year-old daughter Ellory. However, her luck seems to change when her charming, successful new boyfriend Hugh insists that Iris and Ellory move into his family home. Shortly after moving in, Iris feels uneasy living at Ravencliff, which is undergoing a renovation, as Hugh's entire family lives there too. Iris starts figuring out that the family members are hiding many secrets. Possibly deadly ones.

At the start of The Family Inside, someone is digging a grave for a murdered woman. Next, the media descends upon a historic mansion where the remains of two people have been uncovered. Shifting to eight days before the news breaks, we are introduced to Iris. She doesn't know what she is in for and neither do we. Author Katie Garner takes us on a crazy ride in an eerie setting. This unpredictable, twisty story will keep you reading through the night.

Rated 4.25. stars.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. There were some good twists and turns, and I liked the creepiness of the family. However, there was something that didn't work for me. It felt like forever to get into the story and understand there were 2 timelines going on. There were times I felt like pieces were missing and I often had to jump back and re-read sections. At times it was a muddled mess of things going on. Overall, I liked the premise and the twists (even if they were a bit OTT), but the cohesion of the story was lacking for me.

This book was such a twisty, wild ride! It sucks you in right from the start and doesn't let you go 'til the end.

Iris's life is totally unravelling. Her husband was murdered three years ago, she gets fired from her job and her house is in foreclosure. She has to scramble to find a place for she and her daughter, Ellory to live. Enter Hugh, they boyfriend Iris has only been dating a few months. He offers for them both to move in with him. The only catch, he lives with his Mother in a big, creepy mansion, along with the rest of his family. As soon as they arrive, they realize that things are just off and the family is hiding a lot of things. From here things devolve quickly and nothing is as it seems. Everyone is hiding something, including Iris. This went in so many directions that I didn't see coming. The author was masterful at creating that sense of foreboding, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I loved the ending and thought she brought all of the story lines together so well. Pick this one up if you're in the mood for a fast paced, creepy thriller. Out on January 28, 2025.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequintradepublishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

#TheFamilyInsode #NetGalley
A fun read.
Katie Garner’s The Family Inside is a suspenseful and atmospheric thriller that pulls readers into a world of hidden secrets, familial dysfunction, and chilling revelations. Set against the backdrop of Ravencliff, a centuries-old mansion steeped in mystery, this novel expertly combines elements of domestic drama and gothic intrigue.
Likes :-
1 Haunting Atmosphere: Ravencliff is as much a character as the people in the story. The eerie setting, with its dark corners and ominous secrets, creates an unsettling tension that keeps readers on edge.
2 Complex Characters: Iris is a relatable protagonist whose grief and financial struggles make her vulnerable yet resilient. The dynamics between Hugh, his siblings, and their mother add layers of intrigue and tension.
3 Slow-Building Suspense: The novel masterfully unravels its secrets at a steady pace, each reveal more shocking than the last. The family’s hidden history is as compelling as it is terrifying.
4 Themes of Trust and Betrayal: Garner explores the dangers of blind trust and the consequences of being drawn into someone else’s web of lies.
Dislikes :-
None.
Overall :- The Family Inside is a gripping domestic thriller that will appeal to fans of gothic mysteries and family dramas. Though not without its flaws, the book’s strong atmosphere, layered characters, and sinister revelations make it a worthwhile read. Katie Garner delivers a story that questions how well we really know the people closest to us—and what happens when trust is misplaced.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Mira for giving me an advance copy.

I went in not knowing much about this book and I think maybe that was the best way to go about it. It was an interesting story and I did not see the ending coming. I did feel like the characters could have been developed a bit more and the story seemed to take some side quests at times. Overall it was a wonderful reading experience and I appreciate the ability to have read it early. I am hoping if it comes out on audio I will pick it up again.

The Family Inside is a suspenseful, chilling thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Iris Blodgett, reeling from her husband's unsolved murder and drowning in debt, thinks moving into her boyfriend Hugh’s family mansion might be the fresh start she needs. But when Iris and her daughter Ellory arrive at Ravencliff, they discover that the family living inside isn’t what it seems—and neither is the house itself.

Katie Garner weaves a dark tale of secrets, deception, and unraveling truths, with a family history that’s as haunting as the mansion. If you love psychological thrillers with eerie atmospheres and jaw-dropping twists, this is a must-read!